Music and Musicians in Crete: Performance and Ethnography in a Mediterranean Island Society (Europea: Ethnomusicologies and Modernities)

The lyra appears to have tremendous symbolic power and significance in Crete, yet Cretan lyra music is hardly known outside of the Greek diaspora. Music and Musicians in Crete_the first book length study of this fascinating music_documents working musicians in Crete during the 1990s and explores many facets of their lives and music, including what it means to be a man and a musician in Crete, Cretan notions of musicianship as an engendered practice or collection of skills and core values, and ways in which performance elements correlate with activities in daily life. Dawe explores the concepts of 'tradition' and 'modernity' in relation to lyra music, comparing technology, music, and instrument making; examining the possible effects of globalization on the Cretan musical landscape; and investigating aspects of the music's continuity and change in relation to the culture and society of which it is a part. Taking an ethnomusicological approach involving fieldwork and participant observation among performers, teachers, producers, and consumers of lyra music both at live celebrations and on commercial recordings, the book studies and analyzes the relationship between relevant musical, verbal, and visual paraphernalia, including poetry, dance, iconography, and promotional materials. Having experienced lyra playing himself, Dawe also investigates the basic lyra repertoire, analyzing the music and noting pedagogical issues that come up both in the classroom and in the celebration. An introductory chapter sets out the ethnomusicological approach to the work, and a bibliography and discography complete this important study.